Phoenix
Jean is one of the few survivors of the government attack upon Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Children. It's not known that the school was for mutants or that the 'cover story' is just that (gas explosion, as if). Since the attack, she's gone solo in NYC, working part-time in a high-class clothing store, whilst simultaneously helping others in her costumed identity of Phoenix. Background Jean Grey was born in Annandale-on-Hudson, daughter of Bard College professor John Grey and his wife Elaine. With older sister Sara, Jean grew up in a loving home, normal as can be. Jean adored learning new things and never thought school to be boring, a trait that her father encouraged. While Sara was more happy to be mom's kid, learning to be a housewife, Jean was more active, out playing football with the boys and puttering with her bike to try and make it better. She was never taught that certain things were 'boy's toys' or anything silly like that, so she naturally fell into a love of technology and playing with her dad's computer at home. Her best friend Annie was equally adventurous, and they spent a great deal of time out and about, tromping in mud puddles and climbing trees and riding their bikes all over town. Things would come to a crashing end when Annie was struck and killed by a driver going around a blind corner too quickly. Jean's mutant powers suddenly activated, and she linked with Annie as Annie died. Suddenly able to hear voices that no one else could hear, Jean was suddenly outcast, mostly at her own need for silence. She couldn't keep the voices out, and she couldn't help hearing them. Quite honestly, this fact more than the fact that things around the house would suddenly move without anyone touching them freaked out her parents. It was nearly impossible to keep things quiet, not in a time of suspicion and paranoia like modern times, but somehow the Greys managed, until they could find an answer. Secretly consulting all sorts of doctors and psychologists, the Greys were at their wits' end when Professor Charles Xavier, a colleague of John's, presented himself as a means to help their wayward daughter. Xavier explained that Jean was a mutant, and that her abilities could be trained so she wouldn't go insane and she would also be able to be a contributing member of society. Jean moved into Xavier's mansion, which was a far cry better than her parents' home, but it was not 'home' to her for a few years. Xavier revealed to her that he too was a mutant, and he helped her control her own telepathic abilities so she could screen out the mental babble of people around her, and ensure that her telekinetics only affected the stuff she wanted it to affect. Jean was duly grateful for the peace that Xavier's teachings gave her, and thus she became devoted to him as she would a favored uncle and came to believe in his dream of mutant equality. Jean turned into Xavier's most public advocate for equality, and her considerable powers were enough to ensure her a role on his nebulous strike team, codenamed the X-Men, and Jean's codename was Marvel Girl. While Jean was at first surprised to realize Xavier intended to bring other mutants into the fold, she quickly learned to welcome the idea of having others like her, yet different, to interact with. Still, she remained a little bit aloof, because she still didn't have full control of her abilities, and she didn't want to have to go through caring about them as much as she'd cared about Annie and had lost her. This was reinforced by the very dangerous training Xavier put the first X-Men through, and Jean realized early on that she or any of the others could be hurt or killed. Still, she was willing to fulfill her role on the team to the utmost of her abilities, never once fleeing out of fear or hesitating at the wrong time. Jean and the other X-Men went on several clandestine missions, all wearing masks to prevent easy identification although she sometimes questioned the necessity, considering they didn't want to be seen as hiding anything. She still didn't want her parents to be put into danger, so she made a habit of fudging the perceptions of people around her so they wouldn't properly ID her, although that didn't work on any cameras floating around. The X-Men's fall came as quickly as they rose. There were certain forces out there that didn't want mutants to be seen in a positive light, and when they acted against the school by destroying it, Jean was present. Her telekinetics were sufficient to ensure her survival, but she was devastated by the deaths of Charles and so many of her fellow students and X-Men. Stumbling away from the carnage, Jean lost herself amongst humanity, not knowing how many of her friends had died, fearing none had survived, and she now lives day to day, readying herself for a return to public life, for it is time for a Phoenix to be reborn. MUX History Months after the attack upon the school, Jean came across Cyclops by chance. Delighted that at least one of her fellow X-Men had survived, she took up his offer to let her crash at his place, because she'd been living on the streets the whole time. Together, they went back to the remains of the school for the first time and discovered that Beast had also survived along with some of the sub-basements, but they agreed that the school should remain as it was. Making contact with Angel in New York City, they decided to form up a new team and find and rescue new mutants, training them to not only be able to control their powers, but to be responsible citizens. She and Scott found former X-Man Rogue, who wasn't at the school when it was attacked, and she met Ororo Munroe, a Kenyan lady that was on Charles' list of contacts for enrollment. She's also had to deal with the fact that Scott is very much interested in her, but she's not certain as to her own feelings on the matter. She also suspects that there's something wrong with the Beast, but she won't pry, and he's not talking. The strangest thing to happen to Jean since she came to the city is her friendship with high roller Tony Stark. She knows his secret, and he knows hers, and yet they manage to make their friendship work, despite their differing political views on the mutant question. The effort amongst the former X-Men to set up a new team has currently fallen through, due to various reasons. Jean is once more on her own, facing the fact that the man she's dating (who is not Scott) and her former teacher Magneto are at polar opposites of the mutant question, and that conflict is bound to arise. It's inevitable. She's coming to realize that without Xavier to balance Magneto, someone will need to step into her late mentor's shoes, and she's the most likely candidate at the present time. Logs * 2011-08-05 - Fire in Mutant Town - Man-at-Arms, Phoenix and Captain America respond to a fire in Mutant Town and work together to help save the residents. Unfinished scene * 2011-08-08 - The Will of Charles Xavier - The government finally releases Charles Xavier's last will and testament. Emma Frost, Jean Grey, Moira MacTaggart, Erik Lehnsherr, and Cain Marko are the beneficiaries. * 2011-08-19 - Sad Reunion - Jean runs into the missing Scott in Mutant Town, and the reunion is far from a celebration. * The Sleeper Has Awakened - A Department of Defense train is hijacked by Advanced Idea Mechanics, and several heroes (Invisible Woman, Winsome Wasp, Phoenix, Iron Man) respond. * Stark Stalker - Tony Stark and Jean Grey are getting ready to go out on a date when they encounter Voodoo stalking after a Stark Enterprises employee. Or is he? Category:Characters Category:Hero Category:Taken Category:Features